London-born Anna Clyne (b. 1980) is a Grammy-nominated composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music, combining resonant soundscapes with propelling textures. She’s collaborated with cutting-edge choreographers, film-makers, visual artists and musicians, and her works are performed throughout the US and around the world. Recent honors include commissions from Carnegie Hall, Southbank Centre, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, and the Houston Ballet; performances by BBC Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lyon, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic; and residencies with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, L’Orchestre national d’Île-de-France, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

July 16 | The Calidore String Quartet gives NY premiere of  Breathing Statues

The Calidore String Quartet  (2014–15 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence) come to Caramoor for the NY premiere of Grammy-nominated English composer Anna Clyne’s Breathing Statues on Thursday, July 16^t. 

The work, premiered in February at Princeton University, was commissioned specifically to accompany works by Beethoven as part of the 250^th anniversary of  his birth.

“Breathing Statues draws inspiration and musical quotes from Beethoven’s String Quartets No. 13 in B-flat major Op. 130, No. 16 in F major Op. 135 and the Grosse Fuge Op. 133 … it also draws inspiration from ‘On Music’ — a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke … The concept for Breathing Statues came from a poignant moment in the Große Fuge where the music stops and, in between moments of silence, breathes as it shifts from a root position E-flat major chord to a first inversion C major chord.”

July 23 | Musicians from The Knights give world premiere of Shorthand

Musicians from The Knights include the world premiere of Anna Clyne’s Shorthand, for solo cello and string quintet, on Thursday July 23. Cellist Karen Ouzounian (Evnin Rising Stars alumna) is the cello soloist.

“Shorthand references two themes from Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata for violin and piano (which inspired Leo Tolstoy’s novella The Kreutzer Sonata): the opening theme, as well as a second theme that Janácek also incorporated in his own String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata” (also inspired by Tolstoy’s novella). That second Beethoven theme inspires the opening material for Shorthand.”

The Thalea String Quartet Returns to Caramoor.

By Chris Witley, violinist of the Thalea String Quartet

By mid-March, with engagements postponed, flights cancelled, and forecasts for the future of live performance ranging from a bump in the road to something resembling a zombie apocalypse, the Thalea String Quartet faced the same uncertainty as every musician, ensemble, and arts organization in the world. When will we next see the inside of a concert hall? When will people feel safe enough to come to a live performance? How will we reach people with our art when we can’t even leave our own homes? 

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Thalea inspires despite unique obstacles

Caramoor’s Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence program is a one-year residency designed to both advance the reputation and career of a young quartet and enhance the life of the Caramoor community. In addition to presenting multiple performances at Caramoor throughout the year, the quartet also provides educational outreach to young string players, both in public and private schools, through a program called Student Strings. This year’s String Quartet-in-Residence is the Thalea String Quartet, which began its residency at Caramoor in the fall of 2019. Over the course of eight days, they visited eight local high schools and middle schools, and presented a full-length concert at Caramoor. As part of its school outreach, the Thalea performed for over 300 students and gave sectionals and in-class workshops for student orchestras and ensembles.

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